College of Engineering majors now will have the option of seeking a bachelor of science degree in computer software engineering, said Julia Hodges, computer science department head.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology's Engineering Accrediting Commission recently recognized software engineering as an independent discipline. Hodges said the MSU program will be one of only seven in the nation and the first in Mississippi.

Drawing faculty from the college's departments of computer science and industrial engineering, the new program is designed to complement MSU's existing computer-related bachelor degree pro-grams in computer science and computer engineering, as well as the College of Business and Industry’s business information systems department.